Reetika Hooda, the U23 World Champion wrestler, added a silver medal to India’s tally at the Budapest Ranking Series on Saturday. This brings India’s final haul to four medals at the tournament, solidifying their position ahead of the upcoming Olympics in Paris.
Reetika Hooda dominant performance
Reetika Hooda competed in the women’s 76kg category, where a unique round-robin format, known as the Nordic system, was used due to the limited number of participants. This format ensured each wrestler faced every other competitor.
Reetika Hooda dominated most of her matches, securing convincing victories against Zained Sghaier of Turkey (7-0) and Justina Renay Di Stasio of Canada (8-0). Notably, all three wrestlers she defeated will also be vying for Olympic glory in Paris.
However, Hooda fell short of gold after a close encounter with Tatiana Renteria of Colombia, losing by a narrow score of 2-3. Despite this setback, Hooda bounced back to secure a comfortable 4-0 win over Genesis Reasco of Ecuador, clinching the silver medal.
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Landmark achievement for Indian Wrestling
This silver medal adds another feather to Reetika Hooda’s already impressive cap. Last month, she became the first Indian woman wrestler to secure an Olympic quota in the heavyweight category (76kg).
India strong showing at Budapest
Reetika Hooda wasn’t the only Indian wrestler to shine at Budapest. The contingent, featuring six Olympic-bound wrestlers, managed to secure a total of four medals – all silver.
Anshu Malik and Antim Panghal bagged silver medals in the women’s 57kg and 53kg categories respectively, while Aman Sehrawat, the lone male wrestler competing, also secured a silver in the 57kg category.
While Vinesh Phogat couldn’t secure a medal, Nisha Dahiya had to withdraw from the competition. Nevertheless, India’s performance at the Budapest Ranking Series serves as a positive indicator of their potential at the upcoming Olympics in Paris.
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